7 Things You Should Know About The School Essay Layout
Writing an essay is a very common academic task and most students are required to achieve some level of mastery in this skill if they hope to further their studies in just about any field. While many different styles exist and most are acceptable in major circles, schools and institutions often favor particular styles over others.
As a form of communication, the essay is a powerful tool. Regardless of style, the objective of any paper will be the same, to get an idea across from one person to another and to do this, the same basic features will always be required. The following short points will outline 7 major features of any school essay, regardless of a school’s preferred style:
- Title
- Opening statement or hypothesis
- Introductory paragraph
- Character introduction
- Plot development
- The climax or conclusion
- Theme
A short statement, usually one line but can be anything from one word to a couple sentences long, basically states what the paper will be about. It does not need to be clear or direct, writers have been known to craft titles that contain hidden meanings that will be revealed later on in the story.
While this is more often used for research papers, it can be quite effective in a fictional or narrative composition. For instance, you are telling a tale about your summer vacation, you could begin with a statement like “ The best thing about summer is the birds”, followed by a descriptive story about your experiences.
This is a paragraph that introduces your story to the readers, it prepares them for what is to come and also serves to entice them to read on. In this first paragraph, mention important or exciting bits that you will be presented in more detail, later on.
In the second paragraph of your composition, you now begin the task of building up your story. Introduce each character as they appear, providing small amounts of background information to help set the scene.
In the main body, you reveal the details of your story in the sequence they happened, stopping to provide relevant information as you proceed.
Every story must have a time when all the pieces come together, make it exciting and interesting.
Most well known authors often include a hidden meaning or lesson in their stories, this is known as the theme and you should always be included in your original pieces.